Method and apparatus for forming piles



Oct. 25, 1932. L. NADEL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING FILES 1930 2 Sheets-:Sheet 1 Filed Dec INVENTOR ATTORNE' Get. 25, 1932. L. NADEL urn-non AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING FILES Filed Dec. 16, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i I INVENTOR ATro NEY Puma-a 25, 19 2 UNITED STA S PATENT OFFICE I|OUIS NAIDEL, or raw vonx, N. in, assrenon ro mason srlmr. rrnn 'conromrron, I ormzw Yonx, 1v. v41 conroaarron on NEW Yonx mnon aim arraaa'rus son rename rims Application fled December 16, 1930. Serial No. 502,888. k

This invention relates to that branch of 'the artgof made in-place concretepiles in which an inexpensive thin sheet-metal shell is sunk into the ground and serves as a form 5 for the casting of the concrete, the shell re- "maining in place and constituting the skin of the pile in contact soil, but forming no strength of the pile.

with the surrounding part of the structural The actual practice in operations of this "character is to employ a tapered shell, resulting in a tapered pile, and to drive the shell with a collapsible core, this core'being expanded into close contact with the tapered shell for the driving operation, so that the driving power of blows delivered on the top of the core is distributed over the length of the shell. The core is in effect a preparatory pile carrying the-shell with it as a skin. The shell is customarily corrugated or reinforced in some similar manner, and the core is formed toengage the corrugations and thereby push the shell into the ground. While there may have been other proposals, this has been the as practice as far as I am aware.

Objects of this invention are to utilize a thin sheet-metal shell or form, to do away with expensive expansible cores, which are subject-to derangement under hammering I so with the result that there is often much difliculty in removing them, and to produce piles which, being of uniform cross-section throughout, or substantially so, "do not diminish in bearing value from the top to the bottom.

I employ a cylindrical sheet metal shell,

' preferably though not necessarily corrugated 'for reinforcement, and sink this shell by transmitting driving power through a mand,rel directly to the point of the shell, so that the shell is sunk by a pulling action applied at its lower end.

Under this invention a solid mandrel, such as one consisting of one or more sections of heavy pipe, may-be employed, such a mandrel being strong and inexpensive and being easy to remove before introducing the concrete, after the shell has been sunk to its final position.

The shell is provided with a boot which closes its lower end, and the mandrel may be lprovided with a driving end adapted to the oot.

The point of the shell may be formed by a sheet metal boot, the top of which receives the lower end of the shell and is welded to the outside of the shell wall. In this way the boot is not only strongly united to the shell, so that the latter will be pulled down into possibility of separation, bottom of the pile shell the ground without but in addition the is sealed, thus making it watertightx The lower end of the shell is provided with a reinforcement, which affords internal support for the rim of the boot, and by turning said rim inward over this reinforcement a specially strong constructlon s secured.

In an altern-atlve construction, the lower end of the shell is simplytapered so as tolie and be clamped between the similarly tapered boot and mandrel point. This combination also insures that the shell will be drawn downward without escaping from the driving point and the walls of the shell and boot are held together so firmly that there is little opportunity for the entrance of water.

Other modifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, and it will be understood that numerous changes may be made in the details and by way of substitution, addition or omission, without departing from the scope of theinvention.

In the accompanying drawings forming part hereof:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view, with interinediate portions broken away, showing the shell partly sunk with the aid of the solid mandrel Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view, with intermediate portions broken away, showing the shell in final position in the ground and filled with the concrete forming the pile;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on a larger scale of the lower end of the shell and the boot forming the point of the shell, this view being further illustrative of the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the lower portions of the shell and mandrel, andof the boot, in. another form of the invention.

' 29 smaller diameter than the reinforcement and of the shell by a continuous weld 6. By turning the tions preferably runningspirally.

shell is marked 2. It is made of commercial cylindrical sheet steel or sheet iron pipe, produced in any of the ways in which such pipe is manufactured, and is preferably corrugated for stiffness, the corruga- Metal of The pile about sixteen to twenty gauge is satisfactory for my purpose.

., t A ta eged sheet steel boot 3 of heavier M ll rim or topof the boot'extends upward outside of the lower end of the shell, lapping the same for a distance ofsome inches, and above long enough, or .55

in which case the only the reinforcement 4, it is turned inward to a is permanently united to the outside edge of the boot into one of the corrugations I of the shell and making the weld beneath the overhang of the corrugation an exceptionally strong andwater-tight joint can be produced.

*The mandrel 7 is. obtained at minimum expense by ntilizing a length of ordinary heavywalled pipe. It is termed a solid mandrel 1n contradistinction to the collapsible cores which have been employed. A cast point 8,

conforming to the internal shape of the boot, is fixed to the lower end of the mandrel, by shrinking it on, or otherwise.

The mandrel may be materially smaller than the inside diameter of the shell, so that there is a free clearance between the outside of the mandrel and the inside of the shell throughout the full length of these members,

tting of the parts is at the-point, these being of such nature that the boot is fully supported 'under impacts and the shell is kept vertical.

All of the driving force is transmitted to the point, and the shell is drawn down into the ground, as previously stated. When the proper resistance has been encountered, the mandrel is withdrawn freely, without possibility of catching or jamming, and the concrete 9 to form the actual pile is then introduced.

If a single sect-ion of shell does not prove if short sections are used, a second section 2 is added. For this purpose a corrugated band 10 is used, the band being preferably bound in place by wires 11. Instead of a band, a sleeve in the nature of a screw coupling might be used. Still other sections can be added in the same manner. The sections of the shell may be as numerous as desired.

The mandrel is also extended, as necessary, by adding one or more additional sections 7, an internal sleeve 12 having a flange 13 intereavy-walledpipe being employed to hold these sections in relation to each other. These couplings need not fasten the sections together, a slip engagement being suflicient. When the driving has been completed, the upper section of the mandrel is lifted out, and a hook or grapple is then lowered to catch a har 14 fixed in the lower section.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4, the

lower end portion of the shell 20 is left plain, I

that is to say, without corrugations, and it is drawn inward on a taper 21 corresponding to the taper of the mandrel point 8 and the taper of the boot 30. The tapered portion of the shell extends for a considerable distance be-. tween said point and boot, and while the parts are not united the relations are such that the tapered end of the shell is firmly 5 clamped and frictionally held under impact and the reaction of the soil, the grip being the stronger the greater the force ofdrivmg.

Since numerous changes may be made in the form of execution of the invention it is desired that the foregoing description and drawings be understood in an illustrative rather than in a limiting sense.

I claim: v y

1'. In apparatus for the construction of of a sheet metal pile shellto constitutea permanent form to be sunk in contact with the soil, said shell having a penetrating point firmly connectedwith the lower end thereof, and a removable driving mandrel within'said shell in driving contact with said point only, to pull the shell into the soil.

I 2. In apparatus for the construction of concrete piles in the ground, the combination "of a substantially cylindrical sheet metal pile shell to constitute a permanent form to be sunk in contact with the soil, said shell having a penetrating point firmly connected with the lower end thereof, and a removable driving mandrel within said shell in driving contact with said point only, to pull the shell into the soil.

3. In apparatus for the construction of concrete piles in the ground, the combination of a sheet metal pile shell to constitute a permanent form to be sunk in contact with the soil, a closed penetrating end comprising a boot firmly connected with the shell, and a removable driving mandrel within said shell in driving contact with said penetrating end only, to pull the shell into the soil.

4. In apparatus for the construction of concrete piles in the ground, the combination of a sheet metal pile shell to constitute a permanent form to be sunk in contact with the soil, a closed penetrating end comprising a boot the top of which extends over the lower end of said shell and is welded thereto, and a removable driving mandrel within said concrete piles'in the ground, the combination shell in driving contact with said penetrating end only, to pull the shell into the soil.

5. In apparatus for the construction 01 concretepiles in the ground, the combination of a corrugated sheet metal pile shell to con stitute a permanent form to be sunk in contact with the soil, said shell having a penetrating point firmly connected with the lower end thereof, and a. driving mandrel within said shell adapted to transmit the driving force to said point only without intimate contact with the surrounding shell, so that the shell extending upward from the point is pulled into the soil.

6. In the .art of made-in-place concrete piles, the method which comprises utilizing a thin sheet metal shell as a form in which to cast the concrete form and providing this shell with an penetrating point, and sinking the shell into the soil by transmitting driving power through a mandrel in the interior of the shell to the point only so that the sheet metal form is pulled into. the soil, after which the shell is filled with concrete.

LOUIS NADEL. 

